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STS: Science and Technology Studies

Ph.D. Minor in STS

What is the Ph.D. Minor in STS?


The Ph.D. minor (Option A) in STS is offered to graduate students who are candidates for a Ph.D. degree in another department or program. The minor is open to students in all campus departments, including the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering. The program is oriented towards helping students use insights from STS in their research and teaching.

What are the Admission Procedures to the Program?


All graduate students who are interested in the PhD minor in STS should consult as soon as possible with the STS faculty and the STS Program Director. Graduate students will choose, in consultation with the Director, an adviser from among the Program's faculty. The adviser will assist in planning the student's program of education.

Completion of course requirements must be arranged in close consultation with the STS faculty advisor and the STS Program Assistant Director.

What are the requirements of the STS Minor?


Students working on an STS minor are required to take one core graduate seminar, STS 901, which introduces students to the perspectives on science, technology, and society that transcend any single discipline. This course is team taught by program faculty. Students are also required to attend the STS brown bag training seminar and the STS speaker series. In addition, students in the Ph.D. Minor are required to take three courses from at least two of the four fields on the approved list of STS courses. Students may not count courses in their major field toward the minor. Total credits for these three additional courses should be no less than nine credits. Students are required to achieve a grade of B or better in each of these courses.

Students may request the inclusion of courses not on the approved list. An example is a relevant topics course. The request must be in writing and must include a copy of the course syllabus. Approval of the request must be received first from the student's STS advisor and then from the director of the STS program.